Historic Cherry Trees from Japan Given New
Life By Jill
Lee March 24, 1999
WASHINGTON, March 24With a gift of 500 very special
saplings, Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman today helped ensure the survival
of a national treasure, Washingtons historic cherry blossoms.
The saplings were grown from cuttings off the original Yoshino
cherry trees Japan gave the United States as a token of friendship in 1912.
Glickman presented the saplings to Interior Secretary
Bruce Babbitt to help the
National Park Service continue the cherry
blossom tradition along the Tidal Basin as the original cherry trees age and
die.
I am so pleased that USDA
could contribute to the preservation of this historic legacy for the American
people, said Glickman. The annual blossoming of these fragrant
trees is a Washington rite of spring. It symbolizes not only our friendship
with Japan, but our love for the outdoors.
Only 125 of the original 3,000 cherry trees remain. Yoshino cherry
trees live an average of 47 years, yet the trees along the Tidal Basin are now
87 years old. Many of the remaining trees are dying of old age. To prevent
their complete loss, scientists from the
U.S. National
Arboretum, part of USDAs Agricultural Research Service, grew
cuttings from the historic trees around the Tidal Basin. The new trees will
help the National Park Service maintain the genetic lineage of the original
trees. I accept these trees on behalf of the National Park Service
and the American people, said Babbitt. This unique effort is in
step with the Presidents approach to restore and preserve green space for
Americans to enjoy. The nations capital will always be known for its
beautiful cherry blossoms in the spring, but the preservation of the original
Yoshino cherry trees in the spirit of Japanese friendship is a very special
achievement.
When the saplings, genetic copies of the original trees, are old
enough, they will be planted around the Tidal Basin and in Washingtons
East and West Potomac Parks.
USDA scientists at the National Arboretum are studying the
historic Yoshino trees as part of their ongoing efforts to improve disease and
pest resistance in ornamental and fruit cherry trees.
The arboretum's cherry research is the cover story of the April
issue of ARS's Agricultural
Research magazine. The story also is on the World Wide Web at:
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/apr99/cher0499.htm
This year's National Cherry Blossom
Festival is scheduled for March 28-April 11. Thousands of visitors are
expected during the cherry trees' limited period of full bloom. The National
Park Service posts its current prediction of when the cherry trees will be in
full bloom on the web at:
http://www.nps.gov/nacc/cherry
Scientific contact: Margaret
Pooler or Ruth Dix, ARS U.S. National Arboretum, phone (202) 245-4568
(Pooler), (202) 245-4762 (Dix); fax (202) 245-4575;
mpooler@ars-grin.gov,
DixR@ars.usda.gov.
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